99 
S23A73 


ARMSTRONG 


SUAK-h-NUK 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


SAUK-E-NUK; 


.A.NCIENT   ClTY  OF   THE    SAUKS. 


ITS   LOCATION,   CONSTRUCTION,   POPULATION,    GOVERNMENT,   ANTIQUITV 
AND    HOME   LIFE. 


BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWER 
AND  LOVER'S  TOMB. 


BY    P,    A.    ARMSTRONG. 


ROCK  ISLAND,  ILL.: 

1885. 


By  permission  of  the  author,  Hon.  F.  A.  Armstrong,  of" 
Alorris,  111.,  -we  publish  in  this  form  Chapter  III  of  his  forth- 
coming "History  of  the  Black  Hawk  "War  of  1831-S,  together 
•with  the  lives  of  Black  HaVvk,  Keokuk,  Powesheik  and 
Shaubenee,"  now  ready  for  the  printer.  This  chapter,  as 
shown  lay  its  headlines,  is  of  special  interest  to  the  locality  of 
Rook  Island.  His  history  -will  contain  thirty— seven  chapters, 
averaging  about  the  length  of  this  one. 


NER.  ROCK  ISLAND,  !i.L 


Si  34  73 


SAUK-E-NUK; 


'•Who  has  not  heard  of  the  Vale  of  Cashmere, 

With  its  roses,  the  brightest  the  earth  ever  gave; 
Its  temples  and  grottoes,  and  fountains  as  clear 
As  the  love-lighted  eyes  that  hung  over  their  wave." 

LAI.LA  ROOKH. 

'  AUKENUK,  or  Saukietovvn,  nestled  at  the  foot  of  the  promontory  on 
the  peninsula,  upon  the  north  bank  of  Rock  River,  some  three  miles 
south  of  the  present  city  of  Rock  Island,  in  Rock  Island  County,  Illi- 
nois. This  city,  for  it  was  such  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  stood  at  the  foot 
of  the  rapids  of  the  lovely  Rock  River,  which  comes  from  the  northeast, 
winding  its  course  down  through  one  of  the  most  fertile  countries  in  the 
world,  like  a  silver  thread  in  a  groundwork  of  embossed  green,  beneath  the 
shady  boughs  of  great  forest  trees.  Its  banks  were  carpeted  with  wild  roses, 
lillies,  and  a  multitude  of  other  wild  flowers,  whose  sweet  fragrance  per- 
fumed each  passing  breeze  and  zephyr.  Chiefly  fed  by  springs,  the  waters 
of  this  river  are  pure  and  sparkling,  and  come  jumping,  tumbling  and  bound- 
ing over  the  well-worn  rocks  of  the  rapids,  rushing  on  with  a  musical  laugh 
to  join  the  "Father  of  Waters,"  some  two  and  a  half  miles  below. 

From  the  frozen  regions  of  the  north  came  the  majestic  Mississippi  with 
its  world  of  waters,  at  race-horse  speed — her  banks  on  either  side,  fringed 
and  sheltered  by  lofty  trees  and  towering  mountains  and  bluff's,  upon  whose 
brows  numerous  rocks  and  ledges  hung  frowningly  over,  as  if  ready  at  every 
moment  to  break  loose  from  restraint,  and  come  tumbling  down  like  an  ava- 
lanche upon  the  place  beneath ;  grand  old  rocks  that  rested  there  from  the 
time  when  Adam  was  created,  and  Eve  made  from  his  rib  for  a  helpmate : 
rocks  whose  size,  grandeur  and  position  bear  witness  that  no  hand  save 
that  of  Omnipotence  could  have  made  and  placed  them  there,  and  an  honor 
to  Him  who  made  them. 

This  peninsula  is  a  wonder-land.  Its  diversity  of  soil,  togography,  vege- 
tation, rocks,  minerals,  metals  and  water  courses  are  such  as  around  which 


1968343 


4  s  UK-K-XrK,  THE  ANCIENT  CITY, 

cluster  the  keenest  interest  of  the  geologist,  mineralogist,  metallurgist  and 
student  of  nature,  independent  of  the  great  events  which  have  .transpired! 
here  during  the  last  three  centuries. 

Here  in  this  valley,  rivalling  in  beauty  the  Vale  of  Cashmere  and  the 
shores  of  Lake  Como,  stood  this  ancient  city  of  the  Sauks,  which  at  one  time 
contained  by  actual  enumeration  eleven  thousand  active,  energetic,  in- 
dustrions  and  intelligent  people;  and  here  it  had  withstood  the  mutations- 
of  time  and  season,  and  every  attack  from  enemies  without,  and  dissensions 
and  plots  within,  for  a  century  or  more  immediately  preceding  its  destruc- 
tion in  1831,  during  all  of  which  long  period  it  was  doubtless  the  Queen  City 
of  the  West,  and  most  populous  one  this  side  of  the  Allegheny  mountains. 
It  was  regularly  laid  off  into  lots,  blocks,  streets  and  alleys,  with  two  pub- 
lic squares  or  esplanades,  and  fortified  by  a  brush  palisade,  with  gates  for 
entrance.  It  vt  as  a  right  angle  in  shape,  with  its  point  to  the  southeast,  the 
east  line  being  the  longer,  extending  north  and  south  along  the  base  of  the 
promontory — the  point  of  the  angle  resting  on  the  bank  of  Rock  River, 
with  the  shortest  line  running  down  that  river,  and  the  longer  one  towards 
the  Mississippi.  At  the  point  of  the  angle,  or  southeast  corner  of  the  city, 
stood  the  lodge  or  hodenasate  of  the  old  chief,  Black  Hawk.  Saukenuk  was 
not  a  mere  aggregation  of  wigwams  and  teepes,  but  a  permanent  Indian 
abode,  composed  of  the  large,  bark-covered  long  houses,  known  as  hoden- 
asates,  ranging  from  thirty  to  one  hundred  feet  in  length,  and  sixteen  to 
forty  feet  in  width.  Many  of  them  were  the  homes  of  an  entire  gens, 
comprising  the  families  of  the  grandparents,  children  and  grandchildren, 
their  husbands,  wives  and  children.  They  were  built  and  constructed  of 
poles  for  framework,  and  bark  for  covering.  In  shape  they  resembled  our 
arbors.  Selecting  saplings  of  proper  size  and  length,  they  peeled,  trimmed 
and  sharpened  the  lower  ends,  and  sunk  them  in  the  ground  in  two  straight 
rows,  equi-distant  apart.  The  distance  between  these  lines  or  rows  of  poles 
was  regulated  according  to  the  taste  of  the  builders  and  length  of  their 
poles.  The  size  of  the  hodenasate  was  governed  by  the  number  of  persons 
it  was  intended  to  shelter  and  accommodate.  Having  firmly  imbedded  the 
lower  ends  of  these  saplings  or  poles  in  the  two  lines  at  interims  of  about 
four  feet,  their  tops  were  inclined  to  the  center,  meeting  and  lapping  at  the 
desired  height.  They  were  securely  lashed  together  with  strips  of  strong 
bark  or  hickory  withes.  When  this  was  completed  other  saplings  or  poles 
were  cut  and  split  into  halves  and  laid  transversely  upon  the  upright  poles, 
commencing  near  the  ground,  and  upward  at  about  three  feet  apart,  lash- 
ing them  fast  at  each  intersection  with  thongs  of  deer  skin  or  bark  until  the 
center  or  top  was  reached.  This  done  they  had  a  substantial  framework 
upon  which  to  rest  and  secure  their  bark  covering  or  weather-boarding.  For 
this  purpose  they  obtained  large  blocks  of  bark,  usually  from  elm  trees, 
cutting  it  to  the  required  length  and  straightening  the  edges  so  they  would 
meet  without  leaving  cracks  or  interstices  for  the  storm  to  penetrate.  These 
pieces  of  bark  were  laid  upon  the  framework  and  secured  to  it  by  cutting 
small  holes  through  which  thongs  of  bark  were  run,  passing  around  the 
framework  and  tied  fast.  At  the  ends  of  the  hodenasate  poles  were  set  in  the 


AND    BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWER. 


ground,  extending  up  perpendicularly  to  intersect  the  frame  and  fastened 
thereto,  and  placing  split  poles  horizontally  thereon  for  the  bark  covering 
and  fastening  it  the  same  as  on  the  sides,  leaving  a  space  in  the  center  about 
three  feet  wide  and  six  feet  high  for  ingress  and  egress,  over  which  they 
suspended  a  reed  mat  or  the  dressed  skin  of  the  buffalo  or  bear,  which  com- 
pleted their  long  house  or  hodenasate.  The  annexed  drawing  will  give  the 
readers  a  full  comprehension  of  the  hodenasate  of  these  Indians,  as  we  now 
remember  them : 

Fig.  1. 


oo 

DOOR           O 

O                         ( 

1 

O          DOO 

8 

0 

8 

Q 

8 

8 

8 

8    at 

GROUND    PLAN. 

Fig.  2. 


HODENASATE    COMPLETE. 

Fig.  1  represents  the  ground  plan  and  internal  division,  showing  sixteen 
compartments,  each  eight  feet  square,  which  would  accommodate  sixteen 
families.  The  hall  running  through  the  center  was  their  reception  and 
general  living  room,  and  common  to  all,  \vhile  the  rooms  running  along 
each  side  were  the  private  rooms  of  the  respective  families,  where  their  beds 
were  placed,  together  with  their  scanty  supply  of  household  goods.  Not 
being  encumbered  with  chairs,  tables  or  trunks,  they  had  room  sufficient  to 
their  wants.  The  Indian  sits  upon  a  mat  or  skin,  flat  on  the  ground.  The 
O  shows  location  of  their  fires.  Each  fire  supplied  four  families,  a  hole  be- 
ing left  over  each  fireplace  for  the  escape  of  the  smoke,  as  shown  in  Fig.  2, 
representing  the  exterior  of  the  hodenasate  complete.  These  long  houses 
afforded  good  shelter  from  wind  and  storm,  but  were  not  warm ;  but  since 
they  were  only  used  for  residences  during  the  spring,  summer  and  early  fall 
they  served  the  purpose  for  which  they  were  built  comparatively  well. 
These  Indians  spent  their  winters  at  their  hunting  grounds  in  northeastern 
Missouri,  erecting  their  small,  round  wigwams  in  the  heavy  timber  along 


C,  8AfK-K-XrK,  THE  ANCIENT  CITY, 

the  streams,  sheltered  from  the  winds  by  high  bluffs  or  hills.   Their  favorite 
winter  quarters  were  on  what  was  then  known  as  the  Two  Rivers. 

As  a  general  thing  all  the  side  compartments  were  not  used  as  living  or 
sleeping  rooms,  but  were  utilized  as  store  rooms  for  their  clothing,  saddles, 
bridles,  weapons  and  provisions.  Their  beds  were  spread  upon  elastic  poles, 
whose  ends  rested  on  cross  pieces,  and  consisted  of  the  soft  skins  of  the  bear, 
panther,  wolf,  lynx  or  catamount.  Upon  these  soft,  elastic  beds  they  re- 
posed their  weary  bodies  and  slept  "on  downy  beds  of  ease,"  the  envy  of 
kings.  Hence  the  Indian  was  the  original  inventor  of  spring  beds,  which 
have  of  late  become  so  popular  with  us.  But  as  he  failed  to  obtain  a  patent 
some  cute  Yankee  has  utilized  this  Indian  discovery  to  coin  money  out  of 
its  patent.  As  a  general  rule  an  entire  gens  or  kin  occupied  one  hodenasate. 
All  provisions,  whether  from  the  field  or  chase,  were  taken  to  the  long  house 
anil  there  held  in  common  for  the  use  of  its  occupants,  and  free  to  every 
member  of  the  hodenasate.  He  or  she  had  a  perfect  right  to  use  from  this 
commou  store  all  they  wanted  to  eat,  but  were  not  permitted  to  sell  or  give 
it  away  to  an  outsider.  To  this  rule  there  was  but  one  exception,  and  that 
exception  was  in  favor  of  a  hungry  stranger  applying  for  food.  It  was  con- 
,  sidered  a  great  crime  among  these  Indians  to  refuse  food  to  a  stranger. 
Jonathan  Carver,  the  celebrated  traveller  among  the  Xorth  American  In- 
dians, visited  the  Sauks  at  Saukenuk  in  1776,  and  speaks  of  their  hospitality 
in  his  published  observations  as  follows: 

"Xo  people  are  more  hospitable,  kind  and  free  than  these  Indians.  They 
will  readily  share  \vitb  any  of  their  own  tribe  the  last  part  of  their  pro- 
visions, and  even  with  those  of  a  different  nation  if  they  chance  to  come  in 
when  they  are  eating." 

James  Adair,  another  celebrated  Indian  visitor  and  writer,  whose  book 
of  travels  among  the  aboriginees  of  America  was  published  in  1875,  says : 

"They  are  so  hospitable,  kind  hearted  and  free  that  they  would  share 
with  those  of  their  own  tribe  the  last  part  of  their  own  provisions — even  to 
a  single  ear  of  corn;  and  to  others  if  they  called  when  they  were  eating,  for 
they  have  no  stated  meal  time.  An  open,  generous  temper  is  a  standing 
virtue  among  them.  To  be  narrow-hearted,  especially  to  those  in  want,  or 
to  any  of  their  own  family,  is  accounted  a  great  crime,  and  to  reflect  scandal 
on  the  rest  of  the  tribe.  .Such  wretched  misers  they  brand  with  bad  charac- 
ters." 

When  travelling  in  his  own  country,  if  but  to  another  village  than  his 
own,  a  Sauk  always  enquired  for  a  hodenasate  of  his  own  gens.  If  he 
did  not  find  one  he  then  enquired  for  one  of  his  own  gentes  or  phratry, 
and  finding  it  he  was  kindly  received,  though  he  had  never  seen  a  single 
member  of  the  household.  He  was  welcome  to  all  he  might  need  in  the  way 
of  refreshment  ami  rest. 

They  had  their  state  house  called  synedrian,  corresponding  with  the 
Jewish  sanhedrim,  where  the  headmen  and  chiefs  convened  to  consider 
public  affairs,  and  at  other  times  the  people  met  there  to  sing,  dance,  feast 
and  rejoice  in  the  presence  of  the  Good  Spirit.  If  a  stranger  called  there  he 
always  received  a  hearty  welcome  and  the  most  kindly  treatment.  Com- 
munism entered  into  and  formed  their  plan  of  life,  as  well  as  determined 


AND   BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWER.  7 

the  character  of  their  homes.  It  was  a  union  of  effort  to  procure  the  means 
of  subsistence  as  well  as  safety.  A  desire  for  the  accumulation  of  individual 
wealth  or  property  had  little  or  no  existence,  because  there  were  no  in- 
ducements, as  before  shown. 

The  women  governed  the  hodenasates,  and  while  their  stores  were  in 
common,  each  adult  was  expected  to  contribute  their  labor  and  skill  to- 
wards keeping  the  hodenasate  in  supply  of  food,  and  ;twoe  to  the  luckless 
husband  or  lover  who  was  too  shiftless  to  do  his  share  of  the  providing.  IS'o 
matter  how  many  children  or  whatever  goods  he  might  have  in  the  house, 
he  might  at  any  time  be  ordered  to  pack  up  his  blanket  and  budge ;  and 
after  such  orders  it  would  not  be  healthful  for  him  to  disobey.  The  house 
would  become  too  hot  for  him ;  and  unless  saved  by  the  intercession  of 
some  aunt  or  grandmother,  he  must  retreat  to  his  own  class,  or,  as  was  often 
done,  go  and  start  a  new  matrimonial  alliance  in  some  other  class." 

If  the  reader  has  been  under  the  impression  that  the  Indian  women  are 
the  drudges  and  obedient  slaves  of  their  lazy  louts  of  husbands,  let  him  at 
once  be  undeceived.  Like  the  women  of  the  pale  faces,  she  ruled  alike  the 
hodenasate  and  its  occupants.  They  were  essentially  petty  tyrants  over 
the  home,  and  wielded  a  powerful  influence  in  their  gens,  gentes  and  phra- 
try,  and  never  for  a  moment  hesitated  to  exercise  their  power  whenever  and 
wherever  the  facts  and  circumstances  warranted  their  action. 

In  deposing  a  chief  for  cowardice  or  other  base  conduct,  and  relegating 
him  to  the  ranks,  and  nominating  and  electing  his  successor,  was  their  special 
delight.  This  they  called  "knocking  the  horns  from  the  head  of  a  chief." 
It  mattered  not  how  high  the  rank,  how  many  years  he  had  filled  his  po- 
sition with  honor  to  himself  and  benefit  to  his  tribe,  or  how  many  deeds  of 
daring  he  may  have  performed,  if  in  an  evil  hour  he  committed  an  egregious 
blunder,  or  showed  cowardice,  which  was  an  unpardonable  sin  with  them, 
he  was  doomed  and  could  not  escape.  They  had  the  exclusive  prerogative 
of  nominating  his  successor,  and  seldom  indeed  was  the  occasion  when  they 
failed  in  obtaining  votes  enough  to  elect  their  nominee.  For  this  reason  he 
who  sought  a  chieftaincy  found  it  all  important  to  make  friends  among  the 
squaws,  hence  gallantry  was  a  virtue  not  only  cultivated  but  practiced  by 
their  warriors  and  braves  as  Avell  as  chiefs  and  headmen. 

The  Sauks  belonged  to  that  class  known  as  village  Indians,  the  most  ad- 
vanced towards  civilization  found  in  North  America,  and  always  lived  in  or 
near  their  village. 

The  hodenasate  is  the  distinguishing  characteristic  of  their  principal  vil- 
lage, and  means  settlement  or  permanence,  while  the  wigwam  or  tepee  was 
equally  characteristic  of  a  hunting  or  migrating  party,  and  therefore  a  mere 
tempory  abode.  As  a  general  rule  their  hodenasates  were  built  so  as  to 
face  or  front  on  their  public  square  or  other  street,  and  ranged  in  straight 
lines  at  the  front  and  equal  distances  from  each  other.  Saukenuk  was 
built  in  the  shape  of  a  right  ange ;  had  two  public  squares  or  esplanades, 
running  at  right  angles,  with  their  intersection  at  the  southeast,  one  run- 
ning north,  the  other  west.  The  east  line  of  the  village,  extending  from 
Kock  River  north  towards  Eock  Island,  at  the  base  of  the  promontory,  was 


8  SATK-K-XrK,  THK  ANCIENT  CITY, 

about  double  the  length  of  the  south  line,  which  ran  west  along  the  north 
bank  of  Rock  River.  The  chief  or  larger  and  longer  public  spuare  was  the 
one  running  north  and  south,  leading  from  Rock  River  towards  the  Missis- 
sippi, through  or  near  which  now  runs  the  horse  railway  from  Rock  Island 
to  Moline.  Upon  the  southeast  angle  of  the  intersection  of  these  two  pub- 
lic squares  stood  their  synedrian  or  council  house,  which  was  an  immensely 
large  hodenasate  without  partitions  or  subdivisions,  and  wag  used  by  their 
headmen  and  chiefs  for  the  secret  consideration  and  decision  of  matters  per- 
taining to  the  welfare  of  their  nation.  When  not  so  used  it  was  thrown 
open  to  their  young  people  as  a  gymnasium,  music  or  dancing  hall.  The 
public  square,  however,  was  the  arena  for  the  assembly  of  the  people  on  all 
great  events  of  a  public  nature,  and  where  their  mass-meetings  and  national 
feasts  were  held.  Here,  too,  were  their  warriors  and  braves  drilled  and  in- 
structed in  the  arts  of  Indian  warefare;  here  their  younger  warriors  and 
would-be  braves  tested  their  skill  in  the  manly  arts  and  feats  of  strength 
and  endurance ;  here,  too,  were  held  their  war  dances  and  more  terrible 
sun-dance,  and  here  held  their  simple  yet  devout  religious  services,  and  of- 
fered up  to  the  Great  Spirit  their  burnt  offerings;  here  were  their  war 
parties  organ i/ed  for  the  war-path,  and  received  upon  their  return  with 
shouts  from  the  people,  beating  of  tom-toms,  and  the  singing  of  their  wa- 
wan-ais-sas  or  whipoorwills,  as  their  singing  women  were  called ;  here,  too, 
the  ambitious  youth,  eager  to  select  his  medicine  bag  and  adopt  his  totem, 
"told  o'er  his  hairbreadth  'scapes"  and  deeds  of  toil  and  daring  while  on 
the  war-path  or  in  the  chase,  in  the  most  extravagant  language,  and  if  they 
were  deemed  worthy  he  was  received  and  acknowledged  as  a  brave,  with 
all  the  rights,  privileges  arid  l>enelits  it  conferred,  together  with  the  congrat- 
ulations of  his  loved  ones.  If  rejected,  he  bore  the  great  disappointment 
with  all  the  stoicism  peculiar  to  the  Indian  character,  suffering  it  like  the 
youthful  Spartan's  stolen  fox — "to  gnaw  away  at  his  very  vitals  without  sign 
or  signal  of  distress,"  and  bided  his  time  to  try,  try  again  for  the  dearly 
coveted  boon.  It  was  here  their  old  men  expatiated  in  extravagant  similes 
of  their  wisdom  and  experience  of  what  they  had  seen  and  done  in  their 
youth;  here  their  prophets  declared  their  visions  and  prophecies,  and  their 
sooth-sayers  their  auguries,  and  their  Big  Medicines  proclaimed  their  tri- 
umphs over  death,  and  of  snatching  his  victims  from  his  very  teeth ;  here, 
too,  were  held  their  courts  of  justice,  with  their  aged  headman  as  their 
judge,  and  their  most  gifted  orators  acted  as  counsel  and  advocates,  full  of 
precedents,  and  eloquent  in  arguments ;  some  of  them  gifted  with  that  over- 
whelming eloquence  that  carried  everything  before  them — eloquence  that 
partook  of  the  nature  and  power  of  absolute  enchantment,  now  rousing  into 
fury,  then  softening  and  soothing  into  tears  of  compassion. 

The  natural  scenery  surrounding  the  ancient  city  was  of  that  wild,  weird 
beauty  as  to  captivate  the  senses  and  hold  us  spellbound  in  admiration — 
scenery  of  that  ravishing  kind  which  drives  the  poet  mad  in  search  of  apt 
terms  of  description — a  second  Eden,  prepared  by  God  himself  for  a  special 
and  perpetuated  admiration  to  His  children,  of  the  primal  eldest  curse  of 
Adam  and  Eve  and  the  enduring  penalty  therefor  inflicted  upon  their  de- 


AND   BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWEU.  11 

seenclants.  As  the  beautiful  Rock  River  approaches  the  site  of  ancient 
Saukenuk  from  the  east  it  divides  into  three  branches  and  forms  two  small 
islands.  The  northern  one  is  the  somewhat  celebrated  Vandruft''s  Island, 
notorious  as  being  the  place  where  Joshua  Vandruft'  located  his  whisky 
shop  in  1829,  which,  as  will  appear  in  a  subsequent  chapter,  "led  to  the  so- 
called  Black  Hawk  war  of  1831,"  while  the  middle  branch  divides  VandrufFs 
from  Big  Island.  The  lower  end  of  Vandruff's  Island  drops  below  the 
upper  end  of  Saukenuk,  while  the  upper  end  of  Big  Island  laps  on  the  lower 
end  of  Vandruff's  Island.  The  latter  contains  an  area  of  some  two  hundred 
acres,  the  general  surface  of  which  is  flat  as  a  pancake,  and  was  originally 
studded  with  trees,  brush  and  briars.  Gov.  Ford,  although  one  of  Gen. 
Whiteside's  spy  battalion  in  his  celebrated  charge  upon  this  island,  hereafter 
described,  was  clearly  mistaken  when  he  says  it  ran  up  abruptly,  so  that 
Gen.  Gaines'  cannonade  was  ineffective  a  hundred  yards  from  shore.  Big 
Island  is  larger  and  more  irregular  in  surface  than  Vandruff's. 

The  main  branch  of  Rock  River,  however,  is  the  more  northern  channel 
which  passes  along  near  the  site  of  this  ancient  city,  and  is  about  three  hun- 
dred feet  wide  at  this  point,  and  too  deep  to  ford  at  ordinary  stages  of  water. 
Neither  of  these  islands  are  subject  to  overflows,  because  this  river  is  chiefly 
fed  by  springs,  and  therefore  never  goes  upon  the  rampage,  and  seldom  in- 
deed does  it  ever  "get  uppish." 

On  the  south  bank  of  the  south  branch  of  Rock  river  stands  the  beauti- 
ful village  of  Milan,  late  Camden,  nestling  beneath  the  shadows  of  the 
grand  old  bluft'  of  the  Mississippi,  for  at  this  point  the  south  bluft'  of  the 
Mississippi  extends  beyond  the  peninsula  and  takes  Rock  river  in  its  folds. 
These  two  islands  in  Rock  river  are  studded  with  buildings  and  other  im- 
provements, and  are  traversed  by  a  railroad  and  horse  car  track  at  the 
present  time.  Milan  is  connected  with  the  lovely  city  of  Rock  Island, 
some  four  miles  north,  by  a  horse-car  railway  and  the  Rock  Island  and 
Pcoria  railroad,  the  former  making  hourly  trips.  Both  of  these  railroads 
pass  througli  the  site  of  ancient  Saukenuk,  running  parallel  and  only  a  few 
rods  apart  at  this  point,  each  having  three  respective  bridges  across  the 
three  branches  of  Rock  river.  At  Searsville,  a  small  village  located  on 
a  portion  of  the  site  of  Saukenuk,  about  half  a  mile  north  of  the  north 
branch  of  Rock  river,  a  branch  of  the  horse-car  railroad  (but  operated  by  a 
small  steam  engine  or  dummy)  connects  with  the  main  track  and  leads  up 
a  ravine  in  the  promontory,  thence  to 

BLACK    HAWK'S    WATCH    TOWER, 

which  stands  immediately  on  the  north  branch  of  Rock  River,  and  about 
half  a  mile  up  that  river  from  the  upper  end  of  ancient  Saukenuk  (a  fine 
engraving  of  which  is  here  presented). 

At  the  lower  end  of  the  promontory,  near  the  north  bank  of  Rock  River, 
and  close  to  the  upper  end  of  Saukenuk  the  Chippionnock  or  Silent  City  of 
the  Dead  of  the  Sauks  was  located. 

Unlike  the  greater  number  of  Indian  nations  of  their  time,  they  buried 
their  dead  in  the  ground.  The  spot  where  their  burial  ground  was  located 


12  8AUK-E-XUK,  THE  ANCIENT  CITY, 

is  on  the  lower  point  of  the  promontory,  and  some  eighty  feet  above  the 
level  where  Saukenuk  stood.  Then  denuded  of  timber,  it  is  now  thickly 
studded  with  trees,  many  of  whose  varieties  are  never  found  elsewhere,  ex- 
cept in  bottom  land. 

Here  upon  this  ridge,  for  such  it  is,  as  a  deep  ravine  passes  up  through 
this  promontory  some  four  hundred  yards  north,  and  runs  parallel  with  the 
river  entirely  through  the  promontory,  may  be  seen  to-day  honey  locust, 
black  walnut,  hackberry,  black  cherry,  basswood,  or  linden,  box  alder,  elm, 
sycamore,  and  other  kinds  of  river-bottom  timber. 

Thousands  upon  thousands  of  their  dead  repose  here  without  stake  or 
stone  to  point  out  the  spot  where  their  lives  ended  and  their  eternity  began. 

In  this  ravine  running  through  the  promontory  two  beds  or  veins  of  fine 
bituminous  stone  coal  have  been  found,  one  being  about  ftfty  feet  above  the 
other.  The  lower  vein  is  about  four  feet  in  thickness,  with  a  good  sub- 
stantial rock  or  shale  roof  over  it,  so  as  to  render  it  in  mining  both  safe  and 
profitable. 

Hon.  Bailey  Davenport,  who  owns  the  land,  is  actively  engaged  in  min- 
ing and  shipping  coal  from  this  vein,  and  for  that  purpose,  in  part  at  least, 
constructed  his  horse  railway.  Here  in  this  ravine,  and  below  these  coal 
veins,  lead  and  iron  ores  are  found,  but  not  in  pay  ing  quantities.  A  singular 
fact  in  connection  with  these  mineral  deposits  is  this :  They  are  all  found 
in  the  north  hank  of  this  ravine,  and  none  in  the  south  bank.  The  ridge 
lying  between  the  ravine  and  Rock  River  seems  to  be  made  up  of  rock — 
that,  too,  of  various  kinds,  and  no  minerals  have  as  yet  been  discovered  in 
it.  This  ridge,  which  may  be  aptly  called  a  "hog's  back,"  follows  up  the 
river  at  an  average  elevation  of  one  hundred  feet  above  the  river's  surface 
for  the  distance  of  a  mile.  Near  midway  up  the  surface  rises  somewhat 
abruptly  about  forty  feet,  extending  about  twenty  rods,  and  then  suddenly 
drops  oft' to  its  previous  elevation.  The  body  of  this  elevation  is  St.  Peter's 
sandstone,  whose  surface  is  covered  with  well-sodded  rich  loam,  and  was 
originally  covered  with  monster  old  white  oaks.  This  elevation  or  peak 
stands  immediately  at  the  water's  edge,  and  is  known  as  "Black  Hawk's 
Watch  Tower."  Extending  east  for  some  dozen  miles  Rock  River  comes 
down  in  nearly  a  straight  line,  but  on  leaving  the  promontory  on  the  west 
its  course  bends  northerly,  so  as  to  obstruct  the  view  in  that  direction. 

Among  the  many  wonders  of  this  truly  wonder-land,  this  grand  old 
tower  is  among  the  most  wonderful.  With  the  exception  of  the  rock  under 
this  tower,  and  extending  up  some  four  hundred  yards  above,  there  are  no 
sand  stone  within  many  miles.  Add  to  this  the  fact  that  it  is  located  on  a 
peninsula,  whose  soil  was  largely  formed  from  the  driftings  and  deposits  of 
vegetable  matter  of  these  two  rivers,  and  the  promontory  of  which  this 
tower  is  a  part  was  formed  and  created  in  the  same  way,  whose  soil  is  rich 
as  rich  can  be,  the  great  query  is,  how  came  these  sand  stone  and  mineral 
deposits  there  ?  By  what  freak  of  mother  nature  was  this  hoary  old  rock 
deposited  on  this  peninsula?  It  is  one  of  nature's  secrets,  to  be  guessed  at, 
but  never  satisfactorily  solved,  unless  we  admit  that  this  land,  with  its  rich 
mineral  and  rock  deposits,  was  there  before  the  birth  of  the  mighty  Misis- 


AND  BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWER.  13 

eippi,  whose  waters  played  antics  with  its  surface,  and  left  it  in  its  present 
form  and  shape.  It  is  at  least  a  subject  of  wonder  and  speculation. 

The  apex  of  this  Watch  Tower  is  but  a  higher  elevation  of  the  promon- 
tory, and  accessible  by  horse  railroad,  and  embraces  an  area  of  about  a 
quarter  of  an  acre. 

The  fine  trees  which  formerly  grew  here  could  not  withstand  the  inces- 
sant tramping  of  the  feet  of  the  multitude  of  visitors  hither,  and  gradually 
died  and  fell  into  decay,  and  have  finally  been  removed,  leaving  not  even  a 
stump  or  root  to  shoV  where  they  stood.  Though  used  by  the  Sauks  as 
their  signal  and  lookout  station,  for  over  a  century  prior  to  their  expulsion 
from  Illinois,  their  soft  moccasined  feet  did  not  affect  these  trees,  and  when 
the  Indians  left,  in  1831,  this  tower  was  well  studded  with  these  monarchs 
of  the  forest,  in  whose  tops  the  Indians  had  constructed  platforms  for  the 
accommodation  of  their  sentinels,  one  or  more  of  whom  was  ever  on  duty 
here.  These  platforms  were  made  of  poles,  laid  from  one  large,  nearly  hor- 
izontal limb  to  another,  closely  beside  each  other,  so  as  to  form  a  substantial 
platform.  Perched  up  among  the  high  branches  of  these  oak  trees,  about 
two  hundred  feet  above  the  river's  surface  at  their  feet,  their  faithful  lynx- 
eyed  sentinels  held  their  stations  from  early  dawn  to  dewy  eve,  and  from 
dewy  eve  to  early  morn,  with  eagle  eyes  ever  on  the  alert  to  note  every- 
thing that  transpired  within  the  scope  of  their  vision.  To  the  east  he  could 
trace  Rock  River  for  twelve  miles.  To  the  south  his  vision,  extended  over 
the  bluff,  away  over  the  prairies.  West  of  the  lookout  stood  Saukenuk, 
which  extended  north  nearly  to  the  Mississippi.  Up  and  down  Rock  River, 
away  over  the  tree  tops,  hill  and  bluff,  far  over  the  widespread  prairies  and 
valley,  their  vision  took  in  every  moving  object,  ready  to  signal  the  city 
everything  of  danger  or  interest,  as  well  as  the  return  of  their  hunting  or 
war  parties,  and  the  approach  of  friends. 

They  had  a  regular  system  of  telegraphy.  The  Watch  Tower  was  their 
battery  and  machine;  signal  lights  their  electric  wires.  This  is  no  fiction, 
but  an  absolute  reality.  By  the  use  of  tires  and  smoke  upon  this  elevated 
spot,  which  could  be  seen,  especially  at  night,  for  a  hundred  miles  on  either 
side,  these  Indians  communicated  news  with  the  rapidity  of  electricity. 

Black  Hawk's  description  of  this  singular  rock  and  locality  is  as  follows : 

"Our  village  was  situated  on  the  north  side  of  Rock  River,  Rt  the  foot  of 
the  rapids,  on  a  point  of  land  between  Rock  River  and  the  Mississippi.  In 
front  a  prairie  extended  to  the  Mississippi,  and  rear  a  continued  bluff  gently 
ascended  from  the  prairie.  On  its  highest  peak  our  Watch  Tower  was  sit- 
uated, from  which  we  had  a  fine  view  for  many  miles  up  and  down  Rock 
River,  and  in  every  direction  *  *  *  This  tower  to  which  my  name  had 
been  applied  was  a  favorite  resort,  and  was  frequently  visited  by  me,  where 
I  could  sit  and  smoke  my  pipe  and  look  with  wonder  and  pleasure  at  the 
grand  scenes  that  were  presented  by  the  sun's  rays,  even  across  the  mighty 
water.  On  one  occasion  a  Frenchman,  who  had  been  making  his  home  in 
our  village,  brought  his  violin  with  him  to  the  tower  to  play  and  dance  for 
the  amusement  of  a  number  of  our  people  who  had  assembled  there,  and 
while  dancing  with  his  back  to  the  cliff  accidentally  fell  over  it,  and  was 
killed  by  the  fall.  The  Indians  say  that  always  at  the  same  time  of  the  year 
soft  strains  of  the  violin  can  be  heard  near  that  spot.  On  either  side  of  the 


14  SAl'K-E-KCK,  T1IK  ANCIENT  CITV, 

• 

blutt'we  had  our  corn-fields,  extending  about  two  miles  up,  parallel  with 
the  larger  river,  where  they  joined  those  of  the  Foxes',  whose  village  was 
on  the  same  stream,  opposite  the  lower  end  of  Rock  Island,  and  three  miles 
distant  from  ours.  We  had  eight  hundred  (should  have  been  three  thous- 
and) acres  in  cultivation,  including  what  we  had  on  the  island  (VandrufTs 
and  Big  Islands^  in  Rock  River.  The  land  around  our  village,  which  re- 
mained unbroken,  was  covered  with  blue-grass,  which  furnished  excellent 
pasture  for  our  horses.  Several  springs  poured  out  of  the  blurt'  near  by, 
from  which  we  were  well  supplied  with  good  water.  The  rapids  of  Rock 
River  furnished  us  with  an  abundance  of  excellent  fish,  and  the  land  being 
fertile,  never  failed  to  produce  good  crops  of  corn,  beans,  pumpkins  anil 
squashes;  we  always  had  plenty.  Our  children  never  cried  from  hunger; 
neither  were  our  people  in  want.  Here  our  village  stood  more  than  a  hun- 
dred years,  during  all  of  which  time  we  were  the  undisputed  possessors  of 
the  Mississippi  Valley  from  Wisconsin  to  the  Portaze  Des  Sioux,  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri,  being  about  seven  hundred  miles  in  length." 

It  will  be  observed  that  while  Black  Hawk  says  they  cultivated  eight  hun- 
dred acres  of  land,  including  that  on  VandrufTs  and  Big  Islands,  he  says 
their  cultivated  lands  were  two  miles  up,  parallel  with  the  Mississippi  and 
three  miles  long  which  make  six  square  miles.  Each  square  mile  contain- 
ing 640  acres  would  aggregate  3840  acres  of  cultivated  land.  But  all  of 
the  lands  embraced  in  the  two  by  three  miles  described  by  the  old  chief 
was  not  suitable  for  corn  lands  and  the  actual  amount  cultivated  by  them 
was  but  about  3000  acres. 

Hon.  Bailey  Davenport,  of  the  city  of  Rock  Island,  is  the  owner  of  the 
greater  portion  of  the  land  whereon  Saukenuk  stood,  including  Black 
Hawk's  Watch  Tower,  and  has  constructed  a  horse  railway  leading  from 
the  city  of  Rock  Island  to  Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower,  on  which  he  has 
erected  a  neat  building  on  the  Swiss  Cottage  plan,  with  wide  porches  on 
the  north  and  south  sides  for  the  accommodation  of  the  large  number  of 
visitors  to  this  historic  place,  where  he  who  would  for  a  short  time  with- 
draw from  the  dust,  smoke  and  noise  of  the  crowded,  busy  streets  of  the 
city  may  seek  rest  and  repose  beneath  the  green  shades  of  God's  umbrellas — 
the  trees — and  snuff  the  fresh,  pure  air  of  heaven,  laden  with  the  per- 
fumes of  the  meadows  and  glades. 

He  has  named  the  building  Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower  Pavilion.  Sur- 
rounding it  are  long  tables,  and  rustic  seats  spread  over  the  lawns  to 
accommodate  picnic  parties  and  serve  them  with  ice  cream  and  other 
refreshments,  except  ardent  spirits.  The  latter  is  strictly  prohibited  on  the 
tower.  The  pavilion  is  well  kept.  Its  rooms  are  large,  and  it  can  be  made 
a  very  agreeable  home,  and  that,  too,  at  reasonable  prices.  A  quiet  retreat, 
away  from  the  busy  haunts,  where  you  can  enjoy  the  pure  air  and  beautiful 
scenery  to  your  heart's  content.  It  is  indeed  one  of  the  most  lovely  sum- 
mer resorts  in  the  state. 

Standing  upon  this  tower  on  a  pleasant  Sabbath  in  September,  1883,  and 
for  the  first  time  drinking  in  and  absorbing  the  glorious  landscape  here  pre- 
sented, and  at  the  same  time  thinking  of  the  many  thousands  of  human  be- 
ings who  had  preceded  us  thither;  of  its  antiquity  as  a  place  of  resort;  of 
the  great  city  which  stood  near  by,  but  now  no  more,  we  were  filled  with  a 


AND  BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWKR. 


15 


sad  kind  of  solemn  awe,  which  seemed  to  sajr,  "put  off  thy  shoes  from  off 
thy  feet,  for  the  place  whereon  thou  stnnde'et  is  holy  ground."  A  holy 
halo  surrounded  us  on  all  sides,  filling  us  with  admiration  and  wonder.  An 
{indefinable  sense  that  God  himself  was  near  us,  and  all  around  us,  showing 
some  of  His  most  beautiful  works;  yet  tinged  with  a  melancholy  reflection 
over  the  departed  greatness  of  a  once  favored  nation,  who  perhaps  had  vio- 
lated His  commandments  and  broken  His  laws,  and  were  therefore  driven 
forth  from  this  Eden  to  seek  shelter  and  build  up  a  new  home  in  the  wilds 
west  of  the  Mississippi. 

Like  silver  threads  ran  ripplingly  along  at  our  feet  the  three  branches  of 
Rock  River,  while  side  by  side  slumbered  the  two  small  islands.  Beyond 
them,  nestling  like  a  bird  in  her  nest,  stood  the  pretty  little  village  of  Milan, 
whose  sweet-toned  church  bells  were  calling  His  people  to  His  holy  altar, 
and  forcibly  recalled  us  from  our  revery  to  the  fact  of  that  being  God's  holy 
day,  and  we  felt  that  we  were  then  standing  upon  "His  holy  mountain, 
where  He  commanded  the  blessing,  even  life  everlasting."  Away  to  the 


BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH  TOWER,  LOOKING  EAST. 


east,  as  far  as  our  vision  could  extend,  we  beheld  the  beautiful  waters  and 
valley  of  Rock  River.  To  the  south,  and  as  it  were  beneath  our  feet,  large 
herds  of  horses  and  cattle  were  lazily  grazing  the  succulent  grass  upon 
Vandruff's,  and  beyond  we  saw  growing  fields  of  grain  and  farm  residences 
on  Big  Island.  Beyond  that  the  village  of  Milan,  flanked  by  the  south  bluff 
of  the  Mississippi.  Away  over  this  bluff,  over  the  trees  upon  its  brow,  we 
beheld  the  prairie,  dotted  with  farms  like  a  checker  board,  the  happy  homes 
of  Rock  Island's  princes,  the  honest,  independent  tillers  of  the  soil.  To  the 
west  large  mills  and  factories  and  the  railroad  bridges,  with  cars  moving 


16  8AUK-E-NCK,  THE  ANCIENT  CITY, 

like  things  of  life  under  the  mysterious  power  of  steam.     While  standing 
thus  we  realized  the  force  of  the  aphorism  of  the  poet: 

"Some  feelings  are  to  mortals  given 

With  more  of  earth  in  them  than  Heaven." 

For  the  irreverent  thought  kept  pressing  upon  our  mind  that  if  this  had 
been  the  mount  to  which  the  devil  led  our  Savior,  and  this  the  country  he 
ottered  as  the  bribe  to  fall  down  and  worship  him,  instead  of  the  barren 
hills  and  impoverished  vales  of  .Palestine,  the  Christian  world  of  to-day 
would  have  been  Jews.  Yet  with  all  the  beauty  of  this  locality,  together 
with  its  intensely  interesting  history,  its  once  powerful  inhabitants  and 
large  city,  the  occular  evidence  of  which  is  still  here  to  be  seen,  all  lying 
within  a  few  minutes  travel  by  rail  from  the  three  cities,  Davenport,  Rock 
Island  and  Moline,  we  venture  the  assertion  that  not  to  exceed  five  per 
cent,  of  the  fifty  thousand  or  more  inhabitants  of  these  cities  have  visited 
the  site  of  ancient  Saukenuk  (once  the  largest  city  west  of  the  Allegheny 
mountains)  or  Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower,  and  probably  not  more  than 
ten  per  cent,  of  their  inhabitants  have  ever  heard  of  their  existences,  and  if 
they  have  are  unaware  that  they  are  located  near  by,  and  can  be  examined 
and  enjoyed  for  the  small  sum  of  twenty  cents,  horse-car  fare  there  and 
back. 

On  the  north  bank  of  Rock  River,  at  a  point  some  four  hundred  yards  east 
of  Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower,  was  a  grotto  or  cave,  extending  back  from 
the  water's  edge  into  the  promontory.  This  grotto  was  doubtless  cut  out 
by  the  current  of  the  river,  fretting  away  the  soft  sand-stone  rock.  At  its 
outer  edge  it  was  considerably  lower  than  at  the  rear.  From  its  brow  the 
promontory  ran  up  to  a  hundred  feet  or  more  at  an  angle  of  forty-five  de- 
grees. Through  this  grotto  a  beautiful  little  streamlet  of  bright,  pure 
spring  water  came  percolating  through  the  rook  and  formed  a  little  pool 
near  the  outer  edge. 

With  this  grotto  were  several  legends  connected,  two  of  which  we  deem 
of  sufficent  interest  to  insert.  The  first  is  from  the  Sauteaux  when  they 
had  possession  of  this  peninsula,  the  latter  by  the  Sauks,  which  occurred 
as  late  as  1827.  We  give  the  latter  first  and  in  Black  Hawk's  own  lan- 
guage, as  given  by  Col.  Patterson :  "In  1827  a  young  Sioux  Indian  got  lost 
on  the  prairie  in  a  snow  storm  and  found  his  way  into  a  camp  of  the  Sauks. 
According  to  Indian  customs,  although  he  was  an  enemy,  he  was  safe  while 
accepting  their  hospitality.  He  remained  there  for  some  time  on  account 
of  the  severity  of  the  storm.  Becoming  well  acquainted  he  fell  in  love  with 
the  daughter  of  the  Sank  at  whose  village  he  had  been  entertained,  and  be- 
fore leaving  for  his  own  country  promised  to  come  back  to  the  Sank  vil- 
lage for  her  at  a  certain  time  during  the  approaching  summer.  In  July  he 
made  his  way  to  the  Rock  river  village,  secreting  hirrffeelf  in  the  woods  until 
he  met  the  object  of  his  love,  who  came  out  to  the  field  with  her  mother, 
to  assist  in  hoeing  corn.  Late  in  the  afternoon  her  mother  left  her  and 
went  to  the  village.  No  sooner  had  she  got  out  of  hearing  than  he  gave  a 
loud  whistle,  which  assured  the  maiden  that  he  had  returned.  She  con- 


AND   BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWKK.  17 

tinued  hoeing  leisurely  to  the  end  of  the  ro\v,  when  her  lover  came  to  her 
and  she  promised  to  come  to  him  as  soon  as  she  could  go  to  the  lodge  and 
get  her  blanket,  and  together  they  would  flee  to  his  country.  But,  unfor- 
tunately for  the  lovers,  the  girl's  two  brothers  had  seen  the  meeting,  and 
after  procuring  their  guns,  started  in  pursuit  of  them.  A  heavy  thunder 
storm  was  coming  on  at  the  time.  The  lovers  hastened  to  and  took  shel- 
ter under  a  clift'  of  rocks  at  Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower.  Soon  after  a  peal 
of  thunder  was  heard,  the  clift'  of  rocks  was  shattered  in  a  thousand  pieces 
and  the  lovers  buried  beneath,  while  in  full  view  of  her  pursuing  brothers. 
This,  their  unexpected  tomb  still  remains  undisturbed." 

That  this  statement  of  Black  Hawk  is  true  is  corroborated  and  partially 
established  by  the  unmistakeable  evidence  of  an  extensive  land-slide  still 
very  distinctly  marked  at  this  spot;  and  when  he  said  the  thunder-peal 
shattered  the  cliff  of  rocks  in  a  thousand  pieces  he  stated  the  truth  more 
directly  than  would  at  first  thought  appear,  as  since  we  understand  that  it 
is  the  lightning  that  destroys  instead  of  the  thunder;  but  in  this  case  it  was 
the  concussion  or  thunder,  which  is  but  the  concussion  of  the  lightning, 
produced  the  effect.  The  frail  rock-shelf,  already  crumbling  under  its 
thousands  of  tons  weight  of  earth  and  trees  upon  the  side  of  the  promon- 
tory constantly  pressing  on  it,  was  ready  to  break  like  a  pipe-stem  at  any 
moment,  and  when  the  thunder  peal  vibrated  against  the  promontory 
caused  it  to  tremble  and  quiver,  the  shelving  rock  gave  way  and  down 
came  an  avalanche  of  rock,  earth  and  trees,  submerging  the  grotto  and  the 
lovers  many  fathoms  beneath,  and  left  them  there  entombed,  where  their 
mortal  remains  still  slumber — and  thus  was  the  union  of  the  Sauk  and  the 
Sioux,  who  like  the  Capulets  and  Montagues  were  hereditary  enemies, 
through  the  intermarriage  of  this  Komeo  and  Juliet,  defeated  by  death. 

The  Sautaux  legend,  though  not  of  love,  is  also  of  death  and  special 
horror.  In  point  of  time  it  is  a  century  older  than  that  of  the  Sauks,  and 
is  as  follows :  During  their  occupancy  of  this  peninsula  their  young  but 
popular  war  chief  was  missing  and  no  one  knew  whither  he  had  gone. 
Neither  his  wife  or  any  one  else  had  the  slightest  knowledge  of  his  where- 
abouts or  the  cause  of  his  absence.  The  deepest  anxiety  was  felt  by  the 
entire  tribe  for  his  safety.  Thus  matters  continued  for  several  days,  with- 
out tidings  from  him,  when  the  people  were  assembled  on  the  public  square 
by  their  village  crier  and  public  announcement  made  that  their  beloved 
chief  had  been  absent  several  days  and  the  gravest  fears  were  entertained 
for  his  safety.  No  one  knew  anything  as  to  where  he  had  gone.  Search- 
ing parties  were  despatched  in  all  directions  who  returned  at  night  without 
tidings.  On  the  morrow  the  entire  village  turned  out  to  renew  the  search. 
A  small  party  started  up  Rock  Iliver  in  canoes,  and  as  they  passed  by  this 
grotto  one  of  the  canoes  was  run  up  to  the  cave  to  enable  its  occupants  to 
strike  a  light  for  their  pipes.  As  the  tirst  Indian  alighted  from  the  canoe 
upon  the  outer  edge  of  the  grotto  the  sight  presented  to  his  startled  view 
was  such  as  to  curdle  his  blood  and  render  him  speechless  with  horror. 
His  trembling  limbs  refused  to  bear  his  weight  and  he  fell  prone  upon  his 


18  8AUK-E-NUK,  THE  ANCIENT  CITY, 

face,  and  as  his  companions  rushed  forward  to  learn  the  cause  a  chorus  of  loud 
wails  from  their  paled  lips  called  a  multitude  of  horrified  Sautaux  thither 
to  gaze  upon  the  horrid  eight.  There  laid  the  dead  body  of  their  lost  chief 
upon  his  back  with  his  glassy  eyes  staring  at  the  shelving  rock  above,  his 
scalp-lock  gone,  his  brains  strewn  upon  the  rocks,  his  heart  taken  from  his 
body  and  placed  upon  his  naked  breast.  This  they  believed  to  have  been 
done  by  their  Manitou  in  punishment  of  some  secret  and  to  them  unknown 
crime;  hence  this  place  above  all  others  was  from  thence  forward  the  home 
of  the  Bad  Spirit  and  shunned  as  the  most  horrid  of  horrors.  The  very 
bravest  of  their  braves  ever  after  gave  this  cave  a  wide  berth  and  abundant 
room  when  passing  up  the  river  when  compelled  to  ascend  or  descend  Rock 
River.  But  Dove  Eye,  the  favorite  daughter  of  their  headman  or  village 
chief,  although  she  had  often  heard  the  horrid  legend  of  the  death  of  one 
of  the  chiefs  of  her  tribe  at  this  "Cave  of  Death"  many  years  before  and 
fully  aware  of  the  superstitions  of  her  people  with  regard  to  it,  frequently 
sought  this  spectral  grotto,  solitary  and  alone,  for,  indeed,  she  could  not 
have  induced  a  living  soul  to  have  accompanied  her  thither.  The  village 
of  the  Sautaux  was  located  where  the  city  of  Rock  Island  now  stands, 
hence  the  distance  from  her  father's  lodge  to  the  Cave  of  Death  was  over 
three  miles.  To  this  grotto  would  she  almost  daily  repair  to  commune 
with  her  own  feelings  and  dress  her  raven  locks  by  the  reflection  of  the 
bright  spring  water  in  the  little  basin  near  its  outer  edge  for  her  mirror. 

This  legend  was  made  the  basis  for  an  illustration  of  a  beautiful  album 
nearly  half  a  century  ago,  whose  frontispiece  was  the  engraving  of  a  beau- 
tiful Indian  maiden  in  the  act  of  dressing  her  hair  by  its  reflection  from  a 
rivulet  or  basin  as  her  mirror.  Many  efforts  were  made  to  dedicate  these 
albums  by  would-be  poets  of  forty  years  ago,  but  none  so  fine  as  that  of  the 
late  Geo.  H.  Kiersted,  Civil  Engineer,  etc.,  and  for  many  years  a  promi- 
nent citizen  of  Grundy  Co.,  111.,  written  in  the  alburn  of  Mrs.  Dinwiddie, 
about  forty  years  ago,  but  never  published,  vi/. : 

"Half  pleasc<l,  half  pensive  forest-born, 

Why  at  the  cave  at  early  morn, 

Ere  in  the  vale  the  God  of  Day 

With  glittering  beam  hath  shed  his  ray, 

Com'st  thou  to  look  upon  the  wave, 

And  in  its  Hood  thy  form  to  lave  ? 

Why  seek  the  cave,  whose  glassy  breast 

By  winds  nnruflled  ever  rest, 

And  where  the  startled  fawn  its  bed 

At  thy  approach  hath  frightened  fled  ; 

And  where  the  moss  and  waters  meet, 

Why  resteth  thou  thy  buckskinned  feet, 

And  in  its  mirrored  surface  seek 

Reflection  of  thy  olive  cheek  ? 

Why  deck  thy  hair  with  flowers  of  morn, 

That,  from  the  pa  rent  stem  just  torn, 

Upon  the  bouquet's  foliage  bright 

Still  sleep  the  dewey  tears  of  night  ? 

Is  this  thy  toilet,  Indian  maid — 

The  brook  the  glass  thy  hair  to  braid  ; 


AND   BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH-TOWER.  19 

The  cave  which  hunters'  feet  ne'er  grace 

For  years  long  gone,  thy  dressing  place  ? 

"Tis  here  tradition  marks  the  ground 

A  chieftain's  mangled  form  was  found. 

Each  rock  and  stone  was  dyed  in  red 

Around  the  spot  whereon  he  bled. 

His  scalp-lock  from  his  head  was  torn, 

And  o'er  the  rocks  his  brains  were  strown. 

Upon  his  breast  his  heart  lay  bare, 

And  throbbed  not  when  they  found  him  there. 

The  legend  says  'twas  for  a  crime, 

And  punishment  of  wrath  divine. 

No  human  footsteps  since  that  time 

Hath  sought  this  dark  retreat  save  thine. 

The  pure  soul  beaming  in  thy  face 

Shows  crime  hath  there  no  resting  place; 

Then  why  should'st  thou  forbear  to  tread 

The  spot  thy  bravest  warriors  dread  ? 

But  more  those  thoughtful  lines  express 

Than  will  thy  modesty  confess. 

They  tell  thy  heart  is  far  away 

Where  thy  young  lover's  footsteps  stray. 

Thy  spirit  hov'rlng  round  his  heart 

Will  turn  the  ambushed  foeman's  dart. 

Thy  spirit's  self,  the  guide  shall  be 

To  lead  him  home  to  love  and  thee." 

Let  this  submerged  grotto  be  known  as  "The  Lover's  Tornb,"  instead  of 
"The  Cave  of  Death." 


ROCK   ISLAND 


NEAR  BLACK  HAWK'S  WATCH  TOWER,  on  Kock  River,  is  the 
very  best  fishing  in  the  whole  western  country.  The  Rock  River 
is  a  beautiful,  clear,  swift  running  stream,  with  rocky  shores  and  gravel 
bottom.  Minnows  for  bait  are  plenty  and  easily  seined.  On  the  Rock 
River  are  splendid  camping  grounds,  isolated  from  settlements,  with 
shady  groves  and  pure  water;  splendid  bathing,  and  smooth  water  for 
rowing.  The  river  above  named  affords  the  very  best  fishing  all  through 
the  summer  months.  The  dams  on  the  Rock  River  make  the  fishing  ac- 
cessible at  all  times,  without  the  use  of  boats.  Connected  with  Rock 
River  are  numerous  ponds  that  furnish  good  sport  for  sun-fish  and  perch. 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

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This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 

RECD  ID-URL 


4HP8E8I 

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Form  L9-Scries  4939 


PAVILION! 

On    Black  Hawk's  Watch  Tower  furnishes  all   kinds 
of  Refreshments. 


»»NIV   OF  CALIF.  LI9WY.  LOS  ANGELES 


L  006  881  1223 


